“For a Swedish guy who sees no or very little sun from mid-October to the
beginning of March, the dream about going to Lost Hills in February keeps the
spirit up during the dark period. Just the thought to come to the sun, fly in a
T-shirt, and disconnect from work is fantastic.

“During Fab Feb week there is no news, no pressure from the boss, you live in
a bubble, and it’s only about flying. To stay on the field is also a very important
thing for me, to meet all my friends and just hang out. I have some of my best
friends in the US. And with the stable weather, it’s usually very much flying
compared to the time put in.

“To have a new plane to test at Lost Hills is also a great feeling, to be able
to fly it to the ground and compare the results with the best fliers in the world
is just fantastic. And to have three contests in such a short time is a very good
bonus, also. You know, of course, that those three contests will be some of the
toughest to win during the year, but still, it’s a very good motivation to go.”
—Per Findahl, Sweden

Enjoy more photos

at
www.ModelAviation.com.

F1A up a steep 40-meter hill during the Max Men

6-minute flyoff. This was a high-risk, high-reward
activity. He could have easily lost control of the F1A
during the tow or become caught in a crosswind,
but it paid off. He made the 6 minutes and came
out on the podium in the 10-minute morning
flyoff, finishing ahead of a number of
accomplished sportsmen.

On the last day of the week, Janna Van Nest
performed a flightline wedding ceremony for
longtime F1B man
Dick Meyers, and
Betty Davis. Janna is
authorized to perform
weddings in California.
Janna was the main organizer for
the Ladies Tea Party, which was a great
success. She also coordinated with Gabby’s
Grill & Cafe to make sure the food truck got the
best place on the field.

It was good to see that Peter Allnutt (Canada)
hasn’t lost his gallantry. He provided Valentine’s Day